Since 1994, Louisiana has collected over $2.02 billion in state and $557 million in local taxes from riverboat casinos.
These numbers are staggering, but for Louisiana the real bonus is that 53 percent of patrons are from out of state, accounting for $177.8 million dollars. The tax revenues from casinos are put into a state fund which is dispersed throughout state. A large percentage of those patrons are from Texas.
Louisiana is not the only winner in the casino battle, New Mexico and Oklahoma are also recipients of the estimated $10 billion per year that is spent by Texans. Okay, they don’t quite get all of the $10 billion, some of it does stay in Texas, by way of illegal gambling.
Two state senators believe it is time that the out-flow of Texas money needs to be stopped. On Thursday, Senators John Carona, R-Dallas, and Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, introduced new legislation that, if passed, will allow casino gambling in up to 12 places across Texas, three of which would be on Indian reservations. Video slot machines would also be allowed at horse and dog tracks.
But to the senators, who both say they don’t gamble or buy lottery tickets, this bill is not just about gambling.
They are not debating the morality of gambling. For them it’s all about the money — $1 billion to be exact and any which way you slice it up, that is a lot of money.
Their plan for all these Benjamins? They say it will all go to the education to enable eligible Texans to attend a community college or public university education. Isn’t that what they told us they were going to do with the money from the sale of lottery tickets?
Texas lottery proceeds have been put into the Foundation School Fund since the fund was created in 1997. To date, there has been $9 billion deposited. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to show for $9 billion. Across the state schools are struggling to pay teachers, provide programs and maintain buildings.
Wilmer Hutchins ISD is a prime example of the ailing school system. At the end of the 2004-05 school year, they closed their doors for good. Now those students must attend Dallas schools. New Mexico, however, has a similar plan is in place. Their program began in 1996. Since then, it has raised more than $300 million to assist more than 43,000 students obtain a higher education. In New Mexico, students are actually benefitting from the lottery — unlike Texas students.
Gambling will continue, whether it is legal or not. It makes sense to legalize it — at least then taxes can be collected and the state will benefit from it.
The biggest question is: Will the state actually apply the proceeds to our education system? Because in the state where everything is bigger, we desperately need bigger improvements to the schools.
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